We're having a heatwave! Expressions to describe hot weather

In this post, you’ll learn expressions to describe really hot weather.

English speakers love to talk about the weather, especially when it’s extreme. This past week is no exception. Temperatures in Europe hit record levels, reaching 45C degrees in parts of France and Spain. So, how do you describe really hot weather? Here are some ideas. You’ll notice that English speakers often exaggerate!

Ways to describe that you are very warm or hot
"I’m melting."  Chocolate melts in the heat, too.  So do candles.
"I’m wilting."  Flowers wilt when they don't have enough water.  
"I’m roasting."  Roasting means putting something in the oven to cook - like chicken.  
If you are roasting, then chances are, you are also very sweaty. Often you will hear people say, "I’m sweating bullets" or "I’m sweating like a pig."  I don't know if pigs sweat a lot, but people do say that.  😄 

Ways to describe how hot it is outside
"Phew, what a scorcher!" (UK)  or  "This one’s a real scorcher." (US)  To scorch something means to burn it with something.  For example, I scorched my husband's shirt with the iron.  I put the iron down and forgot about it.  I was left with a big, brown, iron-shaped scorch mark on the shirt.
"It’s like an oven out there."
"It’s absolutely boiling out there!"
"It’s the dog days of summer."
"It’s roasting out there."
"It’s hotter than blue blazes." (Southern US)
"So, is it hot enough for you?"  This is usually asked at the beginning of a conversation.
"It’s so hot, you could fry an egg on the sidewalk." 
"It’s hot as Hades out there." (US)
"It’s hotter than hell." (US)
"It's hotter than six shades of hell." (Southern US)

People will often differentiate between types of heat.  Muggy, for example, means not only hot, but also humid. Example: “It’s really muggy today.” Then there are those who will remind you that it is hot but “at least it is a dry heat.”  This means the humidity is very low. (It’s still very hot, though!)

Adjectives to describe heat
sweltering 
boiling
roasting
searing

I hope this helps you with your summer vocabulary.  Enjoy the weather and keep cool!  